This was my mom's and I first doll show. I believe it was held at a Ramada Inn. We didn't know what we were doing or how to display, so we went all artistic and drapey, lol.
Look at the drama. We had beads and little flower arrangements about. We put tissue and shoe boxes underneath the sheets so we could have different depths. How avant garde of us!
We thought we were soooo clever. However, throughout the day, the other vendors made a point of stopping by our table and making subtle, yet catty remarks about our "over the top" display. Whatever! In their faces, because we made back our vendor fee and then some, so smoke that!
By the next year we were also doing malls and flea markets. We had also streamlined our display. I made hinged collapsible shelves that were 3 tiered and I cut out all the mannequins from old Fed Ex boxes. Even back then I had a tendency to go overboard, lol.
Look at that awesome color coded arrangement! The baskets were filled with undies, purses, hats and jewelry. My mom did all the sewing and I made the jewelry. I still have some of the jewelry but I don't think my dolls of today would find it all fashionable and they might give me the side eye if I tried to put it on them.
By the end of that year my mom was totally over doll fashions and had moved on to something else. C'est la vie. We gave away a few of the dolls and clothes, but I decided to keep the bulk of it. My mom asked me why I wanted to have it and I said I didn't know, just that I wanted to. I'm sure I kept all the stuff for selfish reasons, because I'm that type of person, lol, but now, I'm glad I did.
Yes i remember when i had to wait a whole week for my photo's and putting a rol of 32 photo's in the enveloppe and then found out only 10 were sharp.
ReplyDeleteNice display's, do you mis it sometimes?
Hugs
Maria
LOL, Maria. Getting back a bunch of blurry photos was the worst! I do recall we only had to pay for the ones that came out right though.
DeleteI don't miss it at all. I enjoyed the marketing and crafting aspects of it, but when I say I'm anti-social I really mean it. I loathe fairs, markets, malls, etc. So having to converse with people and having them touch our stuff bugged me to no end.
Hey, I even remember slides which you had to have a projector to see - my Dad loved taking them. Your mum's fashions look spectacular and still very fashionable, no wonder she did so well. And your mannequins are very impressive, I was wondering what you made them out of. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteCarrickters, I still have all my slides and my projecter. I used mine mostly for college though because all our artwork had to be put on slides for artshow entries. One time I got my vacation photos put on slides and you would have thought I was screening a movie with the production I made out of it, lol.
DeleteBack then we used old Fed Ex boxes because they had big white areas to cut out off. At one point I found it was easy to have a hanging system by making all the mannequins with arms. I then made a stand that had 2 rows of dowels. The mannequins would hang by their underarms arms and people could just slide them back and forth or remove them easily from between the dowels.
I remember all that... and the care you put in taking photos as you only had 12, 24 or 36! No room for experiments or much creativeness, of course! By the way, love your mum's designs, they remind me of better fashion times for Barbie LOL
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rossetti. Yep, I remember the big decisions you had to make with film photos, like having to choose 100 200 or 400 ISO in advance.
DeleteI can't believe they'd come by and make snide remarks... how awful. Some people are so snobby. >8(
ReplyDeleteThat's really cool that you and your Mom used to do this together though... do you guys have a new joined hobby now?
Heather, my mom has hobbied up with my sister and they sell handmade clothing and knit/crochet wear for adults, instead of dolls. They have a regular booth at the artist's market every weekend and do other shows throughout our area. I'm just handling the marketing and business aspects and I leave the people handling up to them.
DeleteHello from Spain: How lucky you saved your mother's collection. I like to see photos of the exhibits. And I saw some designs of your mother and the clothing is wonderful. Sure you had a very good to her. it is unfortunate that your mother left the hobby of Barbies. It is a joy that you follow the tradition. Keep in touch.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Marta. My mom has gone from making stuff for dollies to making them for adults. So, I've doubly benefited, actually. I've gotten stuff for me and my dollies to wear. ^_^
DeleteHoly shoes, that's alot of beautiful dolls! :). Oh snobby people, they were just jealous! Very Impressive.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Verona. We worked hard doing those shows and a few snippy remarks didn't slow us down.
DeleteI remember when photos were on film and my father shouted: "Don't put your fingers on the photos!! Fingerprints remain on them!!" I agree. You have done well to keep the bulk of it.
ReplyDeleteLOL, Sergio, I was one of those people. I hated it when people wouldn't hold the photos at parallel corners.
DeleteI have some disks with pictures on them and no computer to show them on..LOL. Those Kodak picture disks that I got from the pharmacy.
ReplyDeleteI like the displays that you set up the 1st time. It's awesome that you have all those goodies from when your Mom worked 1:6 :O)
Dollz4Moi, I totally missed the get your photos on disks phase. I was taking film photos forever and always got prints or slides. When my film camera finally died I went about 5 years without one and by that time the digital versions and photo printers were out.
DeleteKeeping all that stuff has certainly come in handy!
I would have kept the stuff too just because my mommy made it.
ReplyDeleteMustiwait, that's a very good reason too!
DeleteOh child 1991 thats when I came in this world!Maybe this isnt the post for me!
ReplyDeleteLOL!!! Great dresses and displays tho!!
LOL, Jay! Shoo, youngun! This here's for the middle agers and old timers, lol.
DeleteNice displays, dolls and outfits! Lucky you for keeping them.
ReplyDeleteP.S. For some reason I am not getting your posts. I may have to unsubscribe and then subscribe all over again. This has happened to me before. I hate missing your posts, they are always good. Lol!
Georgia Girl, that blogger reader has never worked well for me. More than half the people I follow don't show up on it. I put everyone's link in a folder on my PC so I don't lose anyone.
DeleteThanks for stopping by! ^_^
I don't remember waiting a week. I remember waiting a couple of days. I worked for Kodak right out of college and was on the engineering team that worked the digital products. Those were the good ol' days. Love you mom's clothes and the displays. Wish I had known her way back when. I would have bought a lot of her clothes. I think it's great that she still does shows.
ReplyDeleteVanessa, in my literal neck of the woods no way could we get it in a few days. You always had to have your film to TG&Y by Wednesday if you wanted to get them the next Wednesday.
DeleteWe are a fairly crafty family. I don't think my mom could not being something crafty.
Yeah, I remember waiting while some clerk looked from bin to bin to find my pictures. "I don't see them! Come back next week!" Boy, I don't miss that! As for your display, it is a doll "SHOW". You need to show your items. If I had saw you display, I would head there first! It really catches the eye! You guys did a great job!
ReplyDeleteMs. Leo, I always say, "Go big or go home." It has served me and my profit margin well. ^_^
DeleteAwesome to see these pictures, the dress the doll in the top left is wearing is a dress you used in one of your earlier photo shoots right?
ReplyDeleteI love that dress, I wonder why it didn't sell? :O
Dailey, my Mom made a "Ready to wear" line and a "high end" line that cost a lot more. We sold the ready to wear stuff rather quickly and the high end stuff didn't sell as fast so most of the clothing I kept were the high end ones.
DeleteWell, more awesome clothes for you then :D
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